How Loud Are The Drums Of War?
by TheEndsongAbyssXV
Summary: Loving her was stronger than any wave; it knocked you to your fucking knees and you could never get up because the warmth, laughter and long nights held you down. Life was perfect. Except when you're in the middle of war, where a single second could rip all you knew and loved away from you. And Marco knew deep inside, that somehow it would. (Marco/OC) SEQUEL TO CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA.
1. Chapter 1

Three weeks. Twenty-one days. Five-hundred and four hours. Thirty-thousand two-hundred and forty minutes. One million eight-hundred and fourteen thousand, four-hundred seconds.

That's how long it had been since Marshall D. Teech had bolted from the ship and run off to God-knew-where. Ace was next, leaving only two days after, hell-bent on bringing the man back and serving justice in the best was he knew how: violently. Not that anyone had any complaints. Teech had almost killed one of their own; Thatch had just started being able to walk around after being stabbed twice with a knife. Fixing the wounds had been relatively easy, since Soleil had gone on a theft spree and taken a hospital's worth of high grade medical supplies that would last about a year, if no one got too injured to cause death, although they were prepared just in case.

Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate was livid, although most of his anger had been taken out on the sea; the man caused earthquakes so strong that (according to Soliel) they created deep cracks in the seafloor. The captain of the Moby Dick had spent most of his time communicating with allies to keep an eye out for any site or sound of Teech, who now went by the name "Blackbeard". Most of the crew had resumed their daily routines and went about business as usual, and simply waited for Ace to return or send a message.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him," Soliel's eyes were blazing with rage, and Marco shifted away from the 23-year-old. "Ooh, and I'll do it slow. I'll tie the bastard up first, maybe break some bones, blow his knees out so he can't walk. Then I'll scalp him, skin him. Douse him in alcohol and light him-"

"Soliel, relax." Marco's voice was quiet. "You're not the only one who wants to take him out. But we can't."

Soliel ran a hand through her shoulder-length copper-toned hair in anger. Champagne eyes narrowed and she sighed heavily. "I know, it's just-what-" her voice broke. "What are we gonna do if he manages to hurt Ace too?"

Marco blinked. He hadn't thought of that. Portgaz D. Ace had made a name for himself, and was strong, maybe one of the strongest pirates around, but he was still young, impulsive, and that was dangerous. Especially since was so pissed off that a man under his division had gone off the deep end.

Soliel looked at the phoenix, "I hate him."

Marco chuckled, "Clearly." He ruffled her hair, effectively messing up the flawless ringlets. He was fascinated by Soliel's hair, bright like fire and softer than silk.

Soliel gave an indignant cry of rage, "Oi! Stop it, pineapple head!" she ducked and swatted at him, but Marco was slightly faster and he caught her hand, dragging her against him and laughing.

"You know he'll get what coming to him. We can all take turns." He smirked then as he heard Fossa speak words of agreement. Izo joined, and pretty soon the galley was full of talk on how best to deal with Teech. Whitebeard was absent, and Soliel wondered where her father had vanished to. For the past few weeks, the man was rarely seen, just a glimpse here or there.

Soliel shivered and rubbed her arms. "So…what if someone…say…maybe…_helped_ Ace?"

Blenheim quirked an eyebrow, setting his tankard down. "Are you volunteering?"

Soliel's smile was slow, and just a little bit evil. "Mmmaaaaybeeee." She walked backwards, hands clasped behind her back before pivoting on her heel and racing out of the room, yelling for her father and demanding he show himself.

"That won't work!" Fossa called with a deep chuckle. "He's not here!"

"Where did he go?" Atmos asked in confusion. "I saw him about an hour ago."

Fossa gave a one-shoulder shrug; he had no idea where their captain had gone, but he knew that they weren't supposed to follow. They were docked in a small town called Foodvalten, one of the areas under the Whitebeard crew's protection. It had been almost a full four hours since Whitebeard had left, without a single clue as to where he'd gone.

"Maybe he's meeting someone."

…

Soliel gave up. She knew he father wasn't on board, and now that they were docked (for who knew how long), she was bored out of her mind. At least when Ace was here, she'd have someone to play with, usually instigating a fight and sparring with the fire starter before they got tired or she knocked him off the ship and into the ocean. She laughed out loud at the recollection of all the times over the years that she and Ace had fought each other. Her favorite memory was from a few years ago, when Ace had first joined the crew. He was a bit snarky, and confident, something Soliel didn't like. BAck then, when they were 18-years-old, Soliel was five-foot, two-inches and roughly one-hundred and ten pounds. Small, petite, and-

_"Weak?" her voice was soft, with an undertone of danger that the rest of the crew recognized immediately. Marco was shaking with laughter at the idea of the newcomer challenging the daughter of their captain. Portgaz D. Ace had _no _idea what he was up against. _

_Soliel crossed her arms, "I may be shorter, smaller, and not as strong as you, yeah," she stepped up to Ace, looking up at him with eyes that were lit with a fire that promised an ass-kicking. "But with all that, you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover." _

_Ace chuckled, watching as the Whitebeard crew began standing around the upper deck, watching in amusement. People had begun taking bets, and it was half and half so far, some thinking the new kid would win, others scoffing that he had no chance against their younger sister. _

_"Okay," he smirked, taking his hat off, "Why don't we find out?" _

_They charged at the same time, and ribbons of flame flickered here and there, probably in attempt to intimidate Soliel, but she evaded, ducking the rush of heat, leg sweeping low and making Ace stumble, but he rebounded quick, swinging a fist, but she ducked, only to barely miss taking a face full of fire as his other hand came at her. Silence throbbed around them as the crew watched eagerly as the two sparred. Ace was stronger, but Soliel was faster, and sometimes that was what mattered. _

_They aimed kicks, punches, and at one point, Ace tried to tackle Soliel, but she shifted to the side and slugged him in the temple, stunning the man for a second, but Ace managed to grab her hair and get the girl in a chokehold. The crew had started getting tense, this fight was getting a little hardcore, but Soliel was on it, digging her sharp nails into Ace's arms and tearing skin, causing him to loosen his hold and drop her. _

_Ace ignited himself then, aiming a roundhouse kick at his opponent, and Soliel took the hit, getting in close and before Ace knew what was happening, Soliel shifted onto her hands, ankles catching Ace's throat as she Judo-flipped him off the rail of the ship and laughed as he cursed. The resounding splash was music to her ears and she bowed, before spinning on her heel and diving off the ship to rescue the other teen. _

_After they'd been hauled out of the sea, Curiel had been amused, "Did you forget that the ocean if your enemy, boy?" He grabbed Soliel's chin and made her look up, eyeing the small, third-degree burn on her cheek. It needed to be taken care of, but the girl was too busy trying to get at Ace again. _

_"Oh, come on. That's all you got?" She was beaming, her smile positively glowing, and Whitebeard chuckled at his daughter, she was so much like him it was ridiculous. The crew cheered and others groaned as they handed out money to bet winners. Marco and Thatch were laughing the hardest, and they both came down to congratulate Soliel. _

She grinned, laughing at the memory, and wondering when Ace would come back because she wanted to do it again. That had been five years ago, and she was taller, weighed more. Ace was almost six feet, and Soliel was five-foot-six and roughly one-twenty pounds; swift as always and lithe as a damn panther. She wasn't curvy, or busty, she had slim hips and a narrow waist, with small firm breasts and a small, rounded bottom. She liked how she looked, and often found the other, more voluptuous population of women to be comical, all dressed up and painted with make up.

_I can't be like that, I have these clowns to look after_, she watched as Thatch walked slowly from the interior of the Moby Dick and into the sun. He was still wearing bandages around his torso, but Soliel was happy to see that they weren't stained for one. She too had a bandage on from one of the bullet wounds she'd received after invading the hospital to get supplies for Thatch, and there were still a line of stitches across her knuckles from punching a glass window to get inside. A chill swept through her and she frowned, rubbing her arms.

Thatch smiled and waved at her, "Sneaking off to write music or something?"

Soliel made a little _huh_ sound, she did have some stuff she'd been working on in her spare time. She was the self-proclaimed entertainer of the crew, and was often playing music and being goofy when everyone else was having a rough day, anything to make her siblings, father, and Marco to smile.

"Actually, yeah. That sounds like a good idea." she walked after the man, following him up towards the crow's nest, where, under a waterproof cloth, sat a ukulele, guitar, and pad of paper with a pencil. Soleil grinned, taking all three and sliding down to the deck, while Thatch took over above, warming himself in the sun.

After sitting on the very edge of the ship, feet dangling over the edge, Soliel began to write again, the sound of the song playing in her head as she hummed, hand moving fast over the page as she wrote. Every now and then she'd erase something and fix it. Snatching up the guitar, she adjusted the strings, strumming each chord out until she was satisfied that they were clear and steady. Eyes roaming the words, Soliel opened her mouth and began to sing.

…

There wasn't much the crew could do about Teech while Ace was searching for him, or while their captain was AWOL, so, like most pirates, they began drinking, being silly and gambling. Fossa was yelling at Brew and Izo for cheating and keeping cards hidden, and Blenheim yelled at everyone to get away from him while he was cooking. The sun had started to set, and the lights were on, candles lit, and Haruta was surprised no one from the village complained about all the noise.

"Ohmygod I can't take it anymore," she huffed and walked out, followed by Marco and Namur, both of whom decided it was too boisterous and crazy in the galley.

"They're like little kids!" Haruta admonished, "Yelling and being silly."

Namur looked up at the sky, where stars had started to appear, a shimmer here and there against the dusky red and purple sky. "We need that right now. I have a feeling something is about to happen, and this may be the last time we can all laugh and have fun for who knows how long." Haruta and Marco gave the shark-man a look; he was right. The trio walked around, talking about Teech, Ace, and all the things that had been going on for the past month.

"Shh, look!" Haruta pointed up ahead with a giant grin, and the other two turned to see Soliel, standing, walking back and forth, fingers moving over strings, singing at the top of lungs.

"She's so loud," Namur chuckled.

Marco nodded, "When she's not screwing around, her voice is good, though. When she's _not_ being obnoxious." Soliel had no idea that she was being watched, or didn't care, because she kept going.

_"I won't talk, I won't breathe, I won't move 'til you finally see, that you belong with me. You might think, I don't look, but deep inside the corners of my mind, I'm attached to you. Mmm, cause I'm afraid to know the answer. Do you see me too? Cause my heart keep falling faster. I've waited all my life, to cross this line to the only thing that's true. So I will not hide, it's time to try, anything to be with you. All my life, I've waited. This is true." _Her voice was clear as bell and just as sweet, but suddenly the tempo changed, and she started to sing something else.

"_Come, as you are, as you were, as I want you to be. As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy. Take your time, hurry up. The choice is yours, don't be late. Take a rest, as a friend, as an old memory." _Soliel's voice echoed out, husky, soft, and Marco noticed that a few people from the village had started walking along the docks, watching the woman with interest, and the phoenix had a sudden twinge of something that made him want to hide the redhead, especially as a few of the male viewers started to cheer and whistle at her. "_Come, doused in mud, soaked in bleach, as I want you to be. As a trend, as a friend, as an old…memory~ Ay, ay, ay, memory…" _

Her face lit up after she stopped, the cheering reaching her ears, and Soliel whirled around, but oh, that blush looked good on her, Marco thought. She grinned, waving at the small crowd and bowing before picking up her stuff and speed-walking away, eyes on the ground. Haruta was giggling, and Namur couldn't help but smile at the girl's embarrassed expression.

Marco was smirking too as they followed her back into the ship. He watched as she laughed with Haruta, her cheeks pink, eyes shining with amusement, and Marco sighed. Loving Soliel was stronger than any wave; it knocked you to your fucking knees and you could never get up, because all the warmth and laughter and long nights held you down.

But he was okay with that, and as their eyes met and she grinned at him, he did what any love struck idjit would do; he pulled her into his arms and kissed the ever-living shit out of her. A series of gasps and cheers followed, and Soliel responded with enthusiasm, arms wrapping around his neck, and jumping up to wrap her legs around his waist.

"What's going on in here?" There were a few snorts of laughter, and a few low "ooh"'s. Soliel was smiling, trying not to laugh, especially as Marco's eyes flared.

"Hi, daddy!"

…


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, dear viewers! I've been kinda blank on the OnePiece front…but after rereading the series thus far, I am back and rarin' to bring you awesomeness! This story will include the Paramount War, Impel Down, and end with the start of the 2-year time skip. I've already got an idea for another sequel (so this will be a trilogy I suppose), that will be post-time skip. But that depends on how well _this_ story goes. *sigh* I love Marco, he needs more page time!

I'm also thinking of adding a lemon to this. Because I really think Marco needs to get laid, and people have asked for it. Would y'all object to some Marco/Soliel action? Let me know. I can do light hints of it, or actually write out the sex but whatever you all want. And if I did write a sensual scene, what pace and mood should it have? I have _no_ idea how to write sex scenes at all, _whatsoever_.

I'm still thinking about what ability the Devil Fruit that Soliel found has, so if you've got any suggestions, throw it at me. Still can't decide whether it's a Zoan, Paramecia, or Logia either…

Much love, TheEndsongAbyssXV

X~X~X

There was a heartbeat of silence, and Soleil gave her father a smile; the kind she knew would melt his heart and get him wrapped around her finger. Everyone was watching the spectacle eagerly, and surprisingly, Marco didn't say or do anything. Just kept his arms the redhead.

"I knew it would happen sooner or later, and there's nothing I can do about it." his voice was oddly flat, and Soliel frowned slightly. She detached herself from Marco and walked after her father, who maneuvered through his crew and out of sight. As others followed her lead, she shook her head. This was something she felt that she had to find out about, and didn't want too many people asking questions and agitating their captain.

After a few steps, she got the gist that he didn't want to talk, because he was walking three strides ahead of her, and normally he'd walk just a step behind. It ate her; what had happened? Was Ace okay? Did something go wrong with looking for Blackbeard?

A tremor ran through her and her head swam. _I have a really bad feeling about all of this. _she thought, walking back to the others.

…

_Neither of them seem to notice. Which is a good thing, for now. But sooner or later, they'll have to recognize me, and then, maybe they'll allow me to help them. This isn't going to be easy…but with enough time…perhaps…_

…

Izo watched as the moonlight filtered though the sparse clouds that drifted through the night sky, bathing everything it touched in a soft pearly glow. He was feeling melancholy; the weight of almost losing Thatch, Teech's defection, and Ace running after him. The world seemed so calm, but the turmoil inside of his heart soured his mood. He thought of the past, back when time wasn't as confusing or dangerous as it was now. Their lives were on the verge of life and death it seemed, and it would only take an instant to tilt them over the edge.

Most of the crew had left the ship for some time to be by themselves. Haruta had holed up in her room, Blenheim, Fossa, and Kingdew were off in the town somewhere, probably having a drink. Thatch was walking about the ship, having recovered enough to move freely (though he was still required to take it easy).

Izo took a sip of the ale bottle in his hand and sighed heavily as feathery clouds drifted across the night sky, obscuring the moon and darkening the world even further.

…

Soliel watched as Marco rose higher and higher into the sky until he was just a glowing blur. He'd been flying around, trying to pull off acrobatic moves and trying to see how fast and far he could go before he got tired and needed to land. He was doing well, his moves swift and precise, like he'd been doing it his entire life instead of just a few years.

So far, he'd been airborne for seventeen minutes.

Soliel walked along the edge of the ship and stood on the edge, just staring into the cobalt abyss that was the ocean. Her head was a jumble of thoughts that she couldn't quite sort into categories, and as she watched the churning waves, she threw herself into the maelstrom of memories that rushed her mind. Memories of brothers. Her sister. Her father. Marco.

_It was getting dark, and Soliel knew that her father locked the ship as soon as the sun set, so she didn't have much time left. But damn it, this was __**important! **__She'd been busy all day, helping the crew with mundane tasks that most eight-year-olds would find tedious, but she found amusing. The guys would talk to her, tell her stories as they all cleaned. Once every four months the ship was given a deep clean from top to bottom, and Whitebeard had decided that she was big enough to help. Most of the work involved heavy lifting and could be dangerous for such a small child but Soliel knew how to scrub, sweep and dust. _

_Her hands were still sore from all the work, and she had bloody scrapes on her knees from being on her hands and knees, scrubbing the wooden floors. But she had a sudden burst of energy and ran off the dock and into the city they were at. The crew had been challenged to a fight by a local pirate group (who obviously had _**no**___idea who they were up against!)and after winning, had decided to keep an eye out in case the idiots came back for round 2. _

_Soliel looked around the different shops that lined the road, and made sure no one was watching her. She didn't want to get kidnapped, so she made sure she was alone before venturing further. There was a butcher, a few clothing stores, and random stalls with different bartering themes. The eight-year-old looked up and down the street before speed-walking to the left. _

_The sign on the door said it was open, and the lights were on, but no one was in the shop except the man behind the counter. As she opened the door, a little bell chimed and Soliel peeked in. _

_"Can I help you?" the man asked with a kind smile. Soliel shook her head. She knew what she was after. The man told her to take her time and come to him if she had any questions. _

_She walked over to the table nearest the cashier and picked up the pad of paper and pencil. After nearly fifteen minutes of severe concentration (for an eight-year-old), she presented the slip to the man. "I'd like this, please." _

_The man gave her a once-over and stared at her face. Soliel's eyes blazed, and the expression on her face told the man that she wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. As his gaze grew uncertain, Soliel gave a small huff of annoyance and reached into her pocket. _

_"I'll pay double what it costs." she placed a small coin pouch on the counter and the man's eyebrows shot upwards. He took the coins and chuckled._

_"Whatever you say, sweetheart." _

_Nearly forty-five minutes had passed, and Soliel had mere minutes before she was found out. As she made her way back to the ship, she caught sight of Fossa and Haruta walking the same path, carrying boxes of food. The girl knew that if others were out, she had time. She ran, harder than ever, her lungs burning, her legs aching sharply. Once she reached the docks, she rubbed the sweat from her face and finger-combed her hair, pretending to stand waiting for her family. _

_Fossa patted her head as he walked by, and Soliel grinned as they all went inside the ship together. Some of the crew milled about while others rushed around like maniacs. After all the mayhem had died down, Izo killed the lights, and Soliel grabbed Fossa's hand. She was afraid of the dark. Terrified, rather. The man crouched down to her level and grinned. _

_The door banged open, and the lights came to life, everyone screaming "Happy birthday, Pops!" (Soliel yelled 'Daddy!') as Whitebeard walked into the room. A banner was hung across the ceiling that read "HAPPY 57TH BIRTHDAY". _

_Whitebeard gave his family a level stare, and Haruta bit her lower lip to avoid laughing at the disgruntled expression on the older pirate's face. The man never really like dpresents, so the crew simply gathered good food to celebrate. _

_"I have a surprise!" Soliel yelled as the crew feasted. The girl stood on her chair (Kingdew had to steady her). She pulled her sleeve up to her elbow. On her right wrist was the Jolly Roger of the Whitebeard Pirates. Her skin was still red and puffy from the tattoo, and there were various responses from the members. _

_"Is she crazy?" _

_"Soliel, you're __**way**__ too young for a tattoo!" _

_"Oh leave her alone! You got your tattoo at her age!" _

_Soliel looked at her father, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. "But-" she looked ready to cry. "I just wanted to…" _

_Edward took his daughter's hand and pulled her across the table. He examined the tattoo carefully and after a few heartbeats he chuckled, and soon the chuckle turned into laughter. "You really are my daughter, aren't you?" _

_Soliel's smile was as bright as her eyes. _

…

_Soliel was mad. That much was obvious. _

_The seventeen-year-old stormed across the deck, and Thatch, Marco and Izo backed away from the irate female. Her father was talking to Brew and Vista, who gave the girl a concerned look as she got closer. _

_"What's wrong, pup?" her father asked. Soliel looked positively livid, and she crossed her arms. _

_"I need to borrow your halberd." _

_Whitebeard's eyebrows crashed down, "Excuse me?" _

_"Because of reasons, damn it old man, give it to me!" When her father didn't respond, Soliel snarled, "My ego is banked on this, so give me the damn thing!" _

_Marco chuckled, "How about you use your words?" _

_"How 'bout I punch you 'til you cry?" the girl seethed. "Fine. I'll use something else then." She vanished into the ship. _

_"Pops, is it really a good idea to let her run around town with a weapon?" Vista gave a half-hearted laugh. "Her aim isn't the best when it comes to blunt weapons. Melee, she's great at. Long range, not so much." _

_"She's not a kid anymore," Haruta defended. "She'll be fine." _

_Soliel came back out, and Brew's eyes bugged as he saw the glass war axe he'd found draped over the girl's shoulder. _

_"Little sister, I really must protest-"_

_Soliel shook her head. "No. This is __**my**_ _fight, and I'm winning it. I tried using my words, but apparently, these bastards need physical reprimands." _

_The crew watched her go, and a few argued that she needed to be looked after, but Whitebeard agreed with Soliel. This was her fight, and she'd have to handle it on her own. Izo and Marco exchanged a glance, silently agreeing that if she wasn't back in an hour they'd go looking for her. Whether Pops wanted them to or not. _

_Time passed, and night turned to day. the crew went about it's business, but a few of the members were concerned about Soliel. It was nearing three hours, and Izo was thinking of doing a once-around the town to see if he would run into her. _

_From upstairs, Thatch's laughter could be heard, followed by Fossa's booming voice: "__**What have you done to yourself?!" **_

_MArco and Izo raced topside and noticed other people had gathered in the main foyer of the entrance to the ship. Soliel was standing there, shirt torn, one shoe gone, hair in dissary, and blood steadily dripped from her busted lip as well as her nose, but she either hadn't noticed or didn't care. _

_"I won." She said with a shit-eating grin. The glass battle axe was covered in dirt and streaked with blood, like her clothes. "Pretty sure I broke a few fingers, maybe my whole hand, but watching those guys scream for mercy was __**so**__ worth it." _

_Brew took the weapon and pegged the teen with a glare, "You little shit. I was going to sell this." Suddenly he smirked, "How's it cut?"_

_Soliel smiled, "Like a hot knife through butter." She winced. There were scratched and bruises on her arms and face, and it looked like maybe someone had tried to choke her because there was a dark ring around her throat. She looked up as her father appeared and he gave a once-over. _

_"Have fun?" _

_Soliel smiled, her copper ringlets a tangled mess around her face. "Yeah, actually. Took two out, the third ran off. But one of them was really…scrawny, so he didn't really count." _

_"What did they do to piss you off?" Marco asked. _

_Soliel wiped blood from her face with the wet rag Blenheim handed her. "Wanted to challenge dad to a fight. Says he's old and feeble. I said that as a member of the crew, they'd have to fight me first." _

_Whitebeard sighed a little. His kids were going to be the death of him, one way or another. _

…

OKAY!

SO. THE DEVIL FRUIT.

It's either gonna be a paramecia, logia or zoan type. Y'all decide. Shit, add what specific ability you want the fruit to possess. I'll do a random pick later this week and figure out whether or not to use it. =_=U I'm so tired. UGH. Carpal tunnel's comin' back and my wrist is **killing** me, yo.

Read and review.


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